Guarding Red Riding Hood

by Rita Hestand

  Chapter Nineteen

  As the days passed Dan grew more restless, he had a pleasant visit with his family and he told Leanne he'd somehow stay in touch.

  "Good luck, bro." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

  He went back to work the next week determined to try to put Gabby and Tony in the back of his mind. He wanted to be in on the capture of the bosses. But Harry felt it a conflict of interest and put him on another detail.

  Dan felt so left out of the loop. He went in Harry's office to talk to him. "How much longer is it going to be?" Dan asked.

  "We're in the process of setting it up now. If all goes well, another week to two weeks." Harry told him.

  "Can I do anything?"

  "Not on this case. I'm sorry Dan. This isn't yours. But I'll keep you up dated."

  Dan did his job, he had another witness program a man and it lasted two weeks. Dan couldn't wait to talk to Harry again.

  But Harry wasn't there and he knew it was going down now. He felt so restless. He wanted to be a part of it and he wasn't.

  Three days later a rather rough looking Harry came into his office and flopped down in his chair. Dan saw him and came in.

  "Did you get them?"

  "We did."

  "All of them."

  "All of them, two dead, three will go to trial. One of which killed Joe Beaton." Harry announced.

  "Fantastic Harry, I'm so glad."

  "Trial are set for a month from now."

  "A month?" Dan squirmed, he was hoping he could see Tony and Gabby right away. But that didn't happen.

  "You know it takes time, but a month on the schedule isn't bad, Dan. I was glad to get it in that time.

  Dan nodded. "You're right Harry. A month is good. I'm just a tad impatient. So what can I do?"

  "I have an assignment for you. Another witness."

  "Oh geez Harry. Is that all I'm good for these days?" Dan asked.

  "This guy can put Moretti and the rest of them behind bars for years. But he's not real stable Dan. He's liable to go off the deep end. That's the reason I picked you. You can handle him; I know you can. I wouldn't trust anyone else."

  Dan eyed him. "He's unstable?"

  "Very. He's so scared he can't even stand his own shadow."

  "I'm not a doctor Harry." Dan frowned unable to see himself handling this situation.

  "No, but you've been doing this kind of work long enough, you can keep a cool head. That's what he needs, a cool head. Keep him alive until the trial. That's all. After that, it's up to him."

  "Wait a minute Harry. You're trying to tell me his is suicidal, aren't you?"

  "That's the general idea, yeah."

  "What makes you so sure I can handle it?"

  "You have more at stake than the rest of us. We need his testimony to convict. You will keep him alive, I'm sure of it."

  Dan wanted to throw something at Harry. It was pure bullshit and he knew it. How was he supposed to keep the guy from doing himself in? He was no shrink.

  Still, Harry was right about one thing, he had a lot at stake here and he wanted that conviction more than anyone. So he'd work harder than anyone to get it.

  Damn Harry's hide.

  The man's name was John Nemo and he was a real case, alright. He looked like he might jump off the nearest building given the opportunity. He was tall, thin, and had wiry black hair that wasn't clean looking. His dark black eyes shifted constantly. Typical low class hood, Dan thought. But he soon amended that as judging someone that quickly was not a good idea. The man could be a genius for all he knew.

  Dan took him to a shabby motel on the far side of Corpus.

  The man was coming down off something and he was a basket case.

  As Dan directed him to the motel room, John was scanning the area. "Are you sure this dump is safe?"

  "I'm sure, now let's get inside." Dan told him.

  "Sure, sure…but I'm hungry. Where we going to eat?"

  "Right here. All our meals will be brought to us right here. We won't be going out or coming in for the next four weeks.

  The room had two beds, a decent size bathroom and a television that seemed to work.

  "Get comfortable, John, this is home for a while."

  Dan was busy the first hour just making the place more like home. He brought in a cooler from the trunk of his car and it was full of beer. He also brought two tv trays that would fit nicely up against the side of the beds to eat on.

  "Couldn't you find a better place than this?"

  "Maybe, but we have to watch our overhead these days." Dan smiled.

  An hour or so later a guy delivered a pizza to them. Dan paid him, tipped him and closed the door. As he was leaving Dan stared out the window.

  "How do you know the people that deliver aren't in on this?"

  "I don't. That's why I’m watching him." Dan told him.

  "How long you been doing this kind of work?" John asked.

  "Too damned long. If you're worried about my experience, relax, I know what I'm doing."

  "So, do you know Joe Beaton?" Dan asked.

  "Yeah, I knew him."

  "So you know he's dead."

  "I know."

  "So, who took him out?" Dan asked.

  The man opened the pizza and took out a piece. "I don't have to testify to you. You know Joe too?"

  "Never had the pleasure," Dan smiled sardonically.

  "He was a no good creep. But he was a pissant compared to the others." John told him.

  "How about Moretti?"

  "You know about him too, huh? Moretti was a slime ball. He finked on Joe, that's why he's dead." John told him.

  Dan laid on the top of the bed, to one side, taking a slice of pizza himself. "In your business is there any other kind…than slime balls?"

  "Sounds to me like you couldn't trust your own brother in this kind of business."

  "'Bout the size of it, yeah." John agreed. He took another piece of pizza.

  Dan turned the television on. "Are you scared John?"

  "Sure I am. I'd be stupid not to be." John glanced at him.

  "You married?"

  "I was, for a while. She took off when she found out what I was into." He replied.

  "Got any kids?"

  "No, thank God." He said as the sweat began to bead on his upper lip.

  "You?"

  "No, not yet."

  He stared at him a minute. "It ain't healthy to have kids no matter which side you're on."

  "Yeah, I've heard."

  Dan relaxed, there was a football game on, and John was really getting into it. He stretched out on his bed and relaxed. "I hate the cubs, anything that has to do with Chicago can't be good."

  "Is that a fact?"

  "An opinion." John shot him a snicker.

  "You got any liquor?" John asked, "A beer?"

  "Sure, in the cooler in the bathroom, help yourself." Dan told him.

  "Thanks man." John helped himself and came back to the game.

  "Did you see that fumble?" John hollered a few minutes later.

  "Yeah…pretty clumsy." Dan smirked.

  He watched John all day, trying to figure him out.

  John rooted for the lesser team which amused Dan. And when the game was over, he took a nap.

  Dan relaxed.

  A couple of hours later someone delivered supper, from Boston Market.

  Dan watched the guy get back in his car, but the guy didn't leave right away. That wasn't usual. He wasn't studying a map; he was looking all around the place.

  It was time to move.

  Dan continued to watch him. When he finally left, Dan got John up.

  "What's up?" John jumped up quickly.

  "We got to get out of here."

  "Already?"

  "Yeah, already."

  "I hope you know what you're doing."

  "Yeah, me too. Let's go. Get the cooler, will ya?" Dan instructed.

  John went in the bathroom and picked it up, carrying
it to the backseat of the car.

  Dan borrowed this car from the car pool lot at headquarters, it looked like a pile of junk, but it had speed that no one knew about but a handful of cops.

  "Let's roll."

  Dan nodded to John and they took off.

  Dan drove forever, at a high speed. He used radar to avoid cops on the street.

  It was nearly morning before he stopped.

  John had been sleeping, but when they pulled up to a nice cabin, John seemed impressed. "Well this is better."

  "Yeah, let's don't dally. Get the cooler and get in the house."

  The house was two bedrooms, a nice sie living room and one bath. It was in the middle of nowhere.

  "Hope you got some food here?"

  "Yeah, we're already stocked." Dan told him.

  "I'm impressed." John said as he looked the place over.

  "Now find you a bedroom and let's not make too much noise around here. You want to watch tv then use the headsets.

  "Now there's a trick I hadn't expected.

  After securing the place, the windows and doors, he closed all the curtains and blinds and checked every room. Then settled out in the living room.

  "There's Boston Market, or you can fix yourself some eggs." Dan told him.

  "I'm good for now."

  Dan sat down on the couch and began to relax again. The goons were already chasing them and this could be a game of cat and mouse for a while. He knew he couldn't let down his guard though although John didn't seem as nervous any longer.

  "You're really good at this, aren't you?"

  "It's what I get paid for, yes." Dan smiled.

  "You got a lot of places in mind?" John asked.

  "Enough, I figure." He handed him a beer.

  "You plan on stayin' one step ahead of them, all the time."

  "That's the idea." He smiled.

  "These guys don't mess around." John cautioned him.

  "Neither do I." After a while Dan looked at him. "Might not be a bad idea to take a shower now and eat, because we might have to move again by mid-day."

  "Alright." John went to the bathroom and saw it wells stocked with towels, soap and all he would need. He ran the shower and directly he came out with a wet head and a towel wrapped around his waist.

  Dan nodded to him.

  "Guess I'll get some sleep, while I can." John told him.

  Dan nodded.

  By two that afternoon, Dan noticed someone creeping up on the house. He went and woke John, and told him to be ready to move.

  "You're kidding."

  "Nope."

  Once more they moved. This time much further away, in a very remote location. Dan called headquarters and put the code for the addy in the phone.

  The place they stopped next was like some kind of fishing or hunting cabin. It was rough, but had all the conveniences of home.

  He figured this was one place it might take them a while to find, so again he relaxed.

  They were very close to a lake here and quite hidden from normal view from the road.

  Harry called.

  "You sure been moving."

  "Just taking all the precautions. It looks like they got a few goons out. But this place ought to be good for a while."

  "Stay put as long as you can, if they get wind take the waterway."

  "Will do."

  Dan figured it would take them a few days to locate them, so he relaxed here. John was edgy again.

  They were there three days and then moved again. This time they moved by boat and moved right on a marina where lots of boats were anchored.

  John was surprised. "Where to now?"

  "Right there," Dan smiled.

  It was a nice size yacht. "You are kidding."

  "Nope, it'll be home for a while."

  "You know best."

  "Glad you got a little faith in me." Dan smiled.

  "Well, you certainly are good at it." John acknowledged. "Better than any other cop I've been with."

  "Thanks, I appreciate that." Dan nodded.

  But instead of staying there, Dan set a course onto the bay and was out in the ocean before John woke up from his next nap.

  "Say, not a bad idea."

  Dan grinned. "Enjoy it. You can even fish if you want. They won't sneak up on us out here. We should be able to see them coming."

  For a month they played hide and seek and then Dan returned John to headquarters and the trials began.

  "Who's gonna protect me afterwards?" John asked Harry.

  "You'll go into the witness program." Harry informed him.

  "I like that guy. He sure knows his business." John admitted as Dan went to get them some coffee.

  "Best undercover cop I have." Harry bragged.

  "I believe that."

  Gabby and Tony was called into the judge's quarters and they gave testimony. Tony had decided since his dad was dead he'd testify against him about the murder of the cop. After all Moretti was one of the men that Harry had captured.

  Dan was appraised of the testimony and the day they were in town, but Harry thought it best Dan didn't see them.

  "Harry come on…"

  "Sorry Dan. It's too risky right now."

  Dan was angry and he went to local bar to drink his sorrows away.

  Harry told him they'd go back into the witness program until the jury came in at the very least.

  Harry set up another assignment for Dan. When it was another witness Dan raised hell with Harry. "Look, like it or not, you are the best I have, and I'm using you as long as I can."

  It lasted another two weeks. The trial lagged on.

  Finally, Dan got a regular assignment and seemed a bit more satisfied.

  This time Dan was in on capturing the gang and bringing them in. There was a certain amount of satisfaction in that and it got Dan back in police mode.

  This guy was wanted for murder and there were witnesses to the effect. Dan brought him in.

  Harry was sitting at his desk, making a mess of it, when Dan came in. "Hey, I got some good news for you."

  "Yeah?" Dan looked at him eagerly.

  "The adoption, it looks like it might go through, if they get out of the program. We aren't sure about that right now. But things are looking more positive."

  Dan smiled. "That is good news. But…you still have no idea how long it will be?"

  "Nope, not yet."

  Dan nodded.

  "We also got a conviction on Moretti. That is good news too." Harry told him. "They'll sentence Moretti tomorrow."

  "Great, how about the others?" Dan asked.

  "Don't know yet. One of them has a fancy lawyer, so it's a waiting game." Harry told him.

  "Dan, what are you going to do if they do come out of this?" Harry asked.

  "I'm going to ask her to marry me and try to adopt Tony." He told him.

  "Have you thought this through? I mean I know you lived with her for three months, but still, that isn't a lifetime you know. And Tony?"

  "Yes, that's all I've been doing lately. Is thinking about it. I'm lost without them Harry. It's that simple."

  "And what if they have to stay in the program? What then?"

  "I don't know…" Dan looked almost lost thinking about that.

  Harry nodded his face screwing up in one of Harry's famous, 'I don't know about this' faces.

  Two days later Dan had a day off and decided to go to the trail of Saul Jones, one of the big wheels going down.

  Dan took a seat in the back of the courtroom not wanting to bring attention to himself. He listened with interest. Jones' lawyer was good. And Dan was worried he might just get him off.

  He knew he shouldn't be there, but he wanted to see how it was going down. And the more he saw, the more worried he became. It was disheartening to know that this character might get off. Harry said Saul was the one that murdered Joe Beaton and for Tony's sake he wanted to see him get what was coming to him.

  His lawyer was claiming self-defense, but there
were drug charges he couldn't wiggle out of. He'd go down, but there was no telling for how long.

  He left the courtroom wondering how it would go.

  He was restless and when he went home Leanne was there to talk to him. She knew her brother well, and that face he had on told her everything.

  "So you don't know what's going to happen to them yet?" She asked.

  "No, if Jones gets off, it could be bad. And I wanted to see him go down. He's the one that took Tony's dad out."

  "This Tony, are you really going to try to adopt him?"

  "Yes, if they will let me. And I'm gonna ask Gabby to marry me, too."

  "Really, that's wonderful. I can't wait to meet her."

  "I've told her about you."

  Leanna smiled. "I was beginning to think you were going to be a confirmed bachelor."

  "I was until a certain red-head changed my mind." He smiled.

  "But honey, what if they don't come out of the program?"

  "I don't know. I just don't know, Leanne. I'm trying to remain positive about this. But that trial has me worried."

  "Then I'll pray for you and them too." Leanne told him.

  "Thanks honey, I appreciate that." Dan told her and kissed her cheek.

  Chapter Twenty

  Moretti got twenty years with no parole. That satisfied Dan. But it looked seriously as though Jones might get off with very little time and Jones was a bigger thug than Moretti.

  Dan was keyed up. He wanted these guys to go down, but the slick lawyers they hired, found new loop holes to get them off and that disturbed both Dan and Harry.

  The last one to go to trial was Big Sam Waters. He was the head of the drug syndicate in the area and the one that needed to take the most heat. Naturally, he had the best lawyer in town representing him. This would be a pure battle of the wits in the court room

  Jones and Waters got off with not much more than a slap on the hand. They'd be out in two to five. That meant Gabby and Tony were stuck in the system. It was the only way to keep them safe.

  Dan was beside himself with grief.

  He couldn't lose them, they meant too much to him.

  "Dan I think it's time for you to take a vacation." Harry advised him. "Two weeks. Go home, enjoy your family. I don't want to see your ugly mug for two solid weeks.